Fantôme Printemps

Brewed By: Brasserie Fantôme in Soy-Erezée, Belgium   

Purchased: 750ml bottle bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2013 

Style/ABV: Saison/Farmhouse Ale, 8.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

I want to put the kibosh on this beer sooner than later, because my feeling is you either drink these ghosts fresh, or age them for the looooonnnnggg haul. Maybe we'll try that with the next bottle. About Fantôme: 

Fantôme is a brewery based out of Soy, Wallonia, Belgium, that was founded in 1988 by the mad man and mastermind, Dany Prignon. The brewery is located in a crumbling farmhouse in the Marche-en-Famenne district of Luxembourg province, and Fantôme's beer just might be more popular in the United States than it is in Belgium. Dany brews one type of beer: Saisons/Farmhouse Ales. Each of his Saisons have a unique twist, and he often brews his beers using herbs, spices, juices, and other off-beat ingredients. Their website is so hardcore it only comes in French, but check it out anyway. 

Like the "Hiver" which meant Winter, "Printemps" means Spring. I actually already knew that, because I'm worldly and traveled and love Stravinsky and can't you see I'm adjusting my blinged out monocle. I'm talking about La Sacre du printemps, mother

Stravinsky wasn't classical.

fucker. If you haven't checked out that Russian ballet shit you haven't lived. For realz, I'm going to pop that noise like bros pop collars and elevate my game while I write this shitty review. Classical music makes that uterus tick. Except - - - DAVID BLAINE FACE - - - Stravinsky wasn't classical.

Man, I've been going out of my way to drink all the fucked up Fantôme beers, but this one seems to be playing the Saison mostly straight. The beer pours into a hazy, straw/lemony/yellow/urine-colored body, and kicks up three fingers of wispy, white head. The head is thick and foamy like beaten egg whites. The beer looks much the same in bright light, only the body takes on a bit more neon green/yellow, and you can see the rising streams of peppery carbonation. The head is hanging around, and there is lacing. This looks like the real deal. 

I should mention this one opened gracefully, with a solid pop from the cork, and no gushing whatsoever. This beer was also housed in one of those damn green bottles. It doesn't smell skunked at all...in fact, the aroma on this beer is rustic, and lively, and features some of that unique Fantôme house yeast. There's big lemon, some light peppery funk, apple, apple slaw salad, peaches, and pineapple...there's also even a hint of Belgian funk/clove, which is something new for me in a Fantôme beer. Beneath all your typical Saison goodness is some Brett funk, old attic, ass-leather, and mild ghostly cigarette smoke. It's like hugging that immigrant worker in the lemon field. 

Normal Ghost: Fantôme Printemps

WOW...this is light, almost watery, and ridiculously refreshing. 8.0% you say? Fuck me, this drinks lighter than some 5.0% beers. You get lots of lemon, light straw, and grains up front. There's a hint of peppery funk, and the middle has a dash of peaches and apple/slaw. The back end dials up some mild attic funk with cigarette smoke kisses. I use "mild" in the context of Fantôme. Compared to their Hiver or Dark White, this beer features minimal funk. There's a little leafy/vegetal bitterness that pops in here, and this is insanely refreshing.

All things considered...and I really find myself shocked to say this...this is kind of just a great Saison, with the Above-Average twist being that funky Brett/leather/ghostly tobacco smoke character. There's a nice rustic grainy character here that I really like. It doesn't taste like cereal or corn...it's just straight up rustic grain. This is also stupid drinkable at 8.0%. Where did the alcohol go? Am I being lied to? As you can imagine, this has a light-bodied mouthfeel. The body is slightly creamy, and the carbonation is light. But there is carbonation. I think some previous vintages of this beer had some carbonation issues. Palate depth is just okay, but complexity brings things up. You get lemon and grains up front; that rolls into a kiss of peppery funk, some peaches and apple slaw; the back end is all about more lemon, some attic, and Brett ass-leather. Dat ass-leather.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

This is a Light Above-Average. This is actually a really nice Saison, with a nice rustic/funky twist. None of the flavors here are overly aggressive, and I would definitely recommend this beer to someone new to Fantôme. The leather/tobacco on the back end does elevate this beer, and you get some of the patent Fantôme funk. You could pair this beer with things that go well with Saisons: peppery meats, lightly seasoned grilled foods, dry cheeses, etc. This style is inherently wine-like, and compares well to a dry white. At around 15 dollars a bottle, I have a hard time recommending this as a daily Saison, but it's a great special occasion beer to check out.

Random Thought: The Stravinsky did pair well with this beer. I literally went from the 99% to the 1%, just by drinking a single beer and listening to a ballet. You wish you were me, but bro, do you even bicep curl? 

Southern Tier Plum Noir

Brewed By: Southern Tier Brewing Company in Lakewood, New York
Purchased: 22oz bottle bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2013

Style/ABV: Imperial Porter, 8.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

I love plums...I love beer...I love beer with plums. This beer seemed like a logical purchase, and will be yet another plum beer in my repertoire. Yay me. About Southern Tier.

Southern Tier Brewing Company is based out of Lakewood, New York. The brewery was founded in 2002 by Phineas DeMink and Allen "Skip" Yahn. Using equipment purchased from the old Saddleback Brewing Co., the company began production with the vision of reviving traditional small batch brewing to the region. By 2003, the brewery was distributing their small batch ales, and by 2005 their sales covered New York and Pennsylvania. Before the brewery had any seasonal beers, it produced a Pilsner, Mild Ale, and IPA. Due to popularity, in 2009 a 20,000 square foot facility was built to allow for the brewing of large-scale beers. Since then, Southern Tier has continued to expand, and continued to invest in better equipment to keep up with the increasing demand for their beer. You can read more about Southern Tier's history on their history page.

The bottle of this beer has all sorts of good info on it, and reflects Southern Tier's new bottle art designs. This beer lists a myriad of ingredients: 2-row malt, caramel malt, barley flakes, chocolate malt, debittered black malt, pureed plums, and chinook & willamette hops. Punching in at 8.0%, this is a big beer. If you roll over to the Plum Noir page, you get much of the same info. This beer is brewed with Prunus cocomilia plums, which are an Italian plum that has a dark color and flesh. The pureed plums are added during fermentation to provide sugar and residual flavors. 

Southern Tier Plum Noir

This beer is like...a Stout. I guess I wasn't sure what to expect. This beer pours into a dark black/purple body in low light, and kicks up one or two fingers of super thick, bready head. The head is a dark tan/wheat bread color. In bright light the beer is still surprisingly dark, and the head has settled into a pinky's worth of dark tan, bready coating. There's lacing from where the head used to be, and some light legs.

As with the aroma, I wasn't sure what to expect, but it's not this. This beer plays the Stout/Porter thing straight, if you like your Stout/Porter dressed up as a Bock. I'm getting a LOT of coffee on this. I'm also getting big bread, toast, and toffee...maybe some Bock-esque melanoidins. There's some bready grain on the nose as well. As the beer sits, stagnant, you go without fruit. When I swirl the beer in the glass, I kick up some raisins and plums.

This is surprisingly light and void on the palate...it's very clean, and almost reminds me of a Doppelbock or Dunkler Bock. You get grain and coffee up front, with some hints of roast and huge toast in the middle. The back end finishes with toast, toffee, and coffee. Hints of raisin/plum/molasses sweetness linger throughout, and the alcohol is completely hidden.

Seriously, this really reminds me of a dark, chocolaty Bock. The mouthfeel is medium-light, veering towards creamy, with airy carbonation. The whole thing finishes super clean, and there's just a hint of bitter towards the back. No flavor really jumps out at you, at least not at first. Once your palate adjusts the beer turns into a refined and mature beer. The 8.0% is absolutely undetectable making this beer both highly drinkable and deceptive and dangerous. The palate depth is actually really nice for a Porter, and there's some nuance to this. Far too often I associate complexity with aggressive flavors, but I think this beer has something going for it. You get a blast of caramel sweetness followed by grain, coffee, and sweet bread/toast up front; that rolls into more toast, bread, coffee creamer, and sweet toffee/caramel; the back end is trailing toast, a hint of roast, more coffee, and fade to light dryness and slight sticky.

Rating: Average (3.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Average on this...this is by no means a bad beer. It's actually quite refined and quite enjoyable, and it's a nice change of pace for Southern Tier. Compared to something like their Creme Butterscotch Rape Brulee, this is a welcomed change of pace and is very drinkable at 8.0%. There's a wonderful toffee sweetness at work in this beer, and tons of nice toasted notes. The plums don't really assert themselves...at least not as plums...and this beer is very clean and reminds me of a Bock. That's not a bad thing at all. And this was priced fairly at around 10 bucks a bomber. I would pair this with dry chocolate cake, coffee-braised meats, or a pulled pork sandwich. I give this a lukewarm recommendation if you like Southern Tier, plums, or Strong Porters chocolaty Bocks.  

Random Thought: I'm actually deviating from my own recommendation and pairing this beer with some cheesy mashed potatoes with green beans. Ideally I'd go the chocolate cake route, but it's only Monday...I haven't jumped that shark just yet.

Upright Brewing Gose

Brewed By: Upright Brewing in Portland, Oregon  

Purchased: 750ml bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2013 

Style/ABV: Gose, 5.2%

Reported IBUs: ?

After a weekend of hard knocks, I'm in the mood for something lighter and more drinkable. A Gose will certainly hit that spot. Tonight's beer was a random purchase, and happened to be from Upright Brewing. 

Upright Brewing is a brewery based out of Portland, Oregon that specializes in French and Belgium farmhouse-style beers. Their unique viewpoint is that they try to use local ingredients, and their beers have a "Pacific Northwest twist." These guys were founded in March of 2009 by Alex Ganum, and the brewery's name is a reference to Charles Mingus' upright bass. For more info, check out their website or Facebook page.

As I said in my introduction, tonight's beer was a random purchase. I credit much of that to this beer's vibrant bottle art. This beer comes in an attractive 750ml bottle, and features a colorful, rustic, seaside town. The Upright Gose is described as "a wheat beer with coriander and salt." Word on the street is that this beer has a pilsener, wheat, and organic caramel malt base; features

Awesome bottle art. 

hallertauer mittelfrüh hops; and is fermented out with French Saison yeast. At 5.2%, this beer should be drinkable...and hopefully with some nice mild tartness and salt. 

Surprisingly, there was no gushing, but popping the cap released a hiss of escaping air. The pour also proved to be difficult, as I kicked up a fistful of head with minimal "umpph" in my pour. As this beer settles down, you can see that the body is a hazy lemonade/urine color, with a large amount of soapy, fluffy, persistent head. The head is bright white, and MAYBE pulls some light gold tones in low light. In bright light, you get much of the same: a hazy lemonade color, a sustaining white head that is depositing tons of sticky lacing as it falls, and INTENSE streams of carbonation rising upwards. 

Upright Brewing Gose

I immediately detected some sea salt/ocean when I popped the cap off and stuck my nose in the bottle for a quick preview of the aroma. In the glass I'm getting a lot more light apples, apple slaw salad, straw, peppery coriander, very mild hints of salt/mineral, a touch of Belgian funk/clove, and some pear/lemon fruitiness. 

I'm really digging this. My first sip was probably a comedown from [bleep] Mountain...I've been sucking down the high gravity beers all weekend (w00tstout, Bois, BCS). This is an incredibly refreshing and subtle beer, with zesty salt/mineral, grains of paradise and orange/lemon peel, bright coriander, peppery salt, apples, pears, and apple slaw salad, and bright wheat/straw. There's also a hint of Belgian clove/funk. The taste really mirrors the nose, and that's a nice thing. The wheat and lemon flavors give this beer a slight tang...but I'm not really picking up any lactic/sour....

As I was buying this, I was speaking with the gentleman at the counter to see if he had tried this beer. He said he had tried it, and he thought it was pretty good. His only objection was that the beer is missing a noticeable lactic/sour edge. And...true dat. I'm not really getting any lactic notes in this beer, let alone any sour. There's definitely some Belgian funk on display, but I feel like this could elevate to another level of awesomeness if they introduced a subtle lactic character. It doesn't even need to be in fermentation...just do a sour mash. But here's the weird thing. As I read some reviews for this beer, I notice that people are saying this beer is sour. Hmmm? I wonder if there is batch variation, or if the recipe has changed, or what.

It's also possible that reviews are full of variance, or that reviews are bullshit, or some combination of the above. Also, I may be drinking a fresh bottle...but I really doubt the presence of microbes in this. Anyway, this beer is amazingly drinkable at 5.2%. This is the type of beer I want on a hot summer day in a 24-pack. I dream of a day when craft beer has become mainstream enough to support a quality Gose in a 24-pack format. This is a light-bodied beer with good palate depth, and understated complexity. There's a lot of wheat, clove, hints of banana, and grains of paradise/orange and lemon peel up front; that rolls into big mineral/salt, peppery coriander, more wheat; the back end is lingering wheat, some Belgian funk/clove...the finish is dry with lingering mineral/salt and wheat.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. This is probably a cop-out rating, but I honestly can't elevate this to a "Divine Brew" when I feel like this beer is missing that lactic twist. I really do think it would add another dimension to this beer, elevating what we have here (which is pretty damn amazing) to something I would seek out more frequently. On the other hand, what we have here is pretty spectacular...a fantastic wheat beer with a nice salty twist. The salt/mineral character in this beer is assertive, and you end up getting a pretty dominate grains of paradise/orange-lemon peel thing. This beer exhumes drinkability, and would pair well with a fruit salad, grilled chicken, peppery poultry, lighter white fish, mussels, clams...this is a summer beer. And a damn good one at that. Recommended. 

Random Thought: I fucking hate Mondays. When I'm president, every weekend will be a three-day weekend, and then we can all fucking hate Tuesdays. 

The Bruery Bois

Brewed By: The Bruery in Placentia, California  

Purchased: 750ml bottle bought at Binny's in IL; 2013 

Style/ABV: Old Ale, 15.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

Whew, 15.0%? Are you kidding me? About The Bruery: 

The Bruery are based out of Placentia, California. As with many craft breweries, The Bruery began as a homebrewing adventure when Patrick Rue, his brother Chris, and his wife Rachel brewed their fast batch of beer. Patrick Rue continued to homebrew during his first year of law school, until he decided that he had a passion for brewing beer. The Bruery opened up in 2008, and since then, they have built a reputation around their experimental, and wild ales brewed with a Belgian flair. To read more, check out the Breuery's website.

The Bois is The Bruery's 2013, 5th Anniversary release. The Bois clocks in at an impressive 15.0%, and is brewed in the English-style Old Ale tradition, using The Bruery's in-house Belgian yeast strain. This beer is also blended using the solera method: a portion of each previous anniversary ale that has been saved in The Bruery's barrels is blended in with next year's release. This beer should feature huge dark fruit, vanilla, oak, and burnt sugar aromas/flavors. 

The Bruery Bois

This one pours into a swampy dark brown/reddish body that is deceptively opaque in low light, especially towards the bottom 3/4s of the glass. Some hazy, gold light is peaking through towards the surface, but that's about all you get. The head on this one is a red/tan/brown color, and started out as a pinky's worth but quickly faded into a ring around my glass. There's both glossy alcohol legs and sticky lacing. This beer looks like shit. It looks like it's been through hell, and it has. This is what a blended beer aged in barrels looks like, and I couldn't be any happier about that.

The aroma on this beer is rich, thick, and strong. It's reminiscent of a Bourbon County Stout or a He'Brew Jewbelation Sweet 16 Anniversary Ale...there's rich wood and barrel character, a huge layer of chocolate fudge/brownie/brown sugar/molasses, big oak/bourbon sitting in the back providing some vanilla sweetness, and lots of fruit. There's definitely some tart cherries on the nose, raisins, dates, boozy and booze-soaked fruits, rum, and some cakey berry/pomegranate thing. The nose hides the booze well, but this is still a boozy beer by all means.

As you'd probably expect, this beer has tons of wood, bourbon, and trailing booze on the finish. The booze provides heat, and also burns a bit going down. What is maybe less expected is the huge punch of tart fruits I'm getting in this. I'm getting dates, rum-soaked raisins, chocolate-dipped cherries, light tartness, pomegranate  and berries. There's also a ton of sweet molasses/sugary complexity fighting the fruity booziness. And I'm also getting some rich brownie/fudge. Nice stuff.

Honestly, you knew what you were in for. You don't show up to drink a 15.0% monstrosity for nuances. This is a big, boozy, full-bodied sipping beer. This is a beer to share with friends, and mull over. The palate depth is huge! Each sip coats your tongue and fills your mouth, and the beer lingers on the palate well past the 20 second mark. After a half minute when the beer fades, you get lingering alcohol in your throat that rises up and down, warming your belly and hitting the back of your tongue like a bourbon cumshot. If ever there was a beer to drink on a cold winter day, it's this. Complexity is good, if not better than good. There's a lot going on here: dark fruits up front, boozy rum-soaked raisins; that rolls into HUGE booze, oak, bourbon, brown sugar spice; there's some molasses/brownie/fudge on the finish, and you get warming booze and all the jazz I mentioned in the above paragraph on the finish.

Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I gotta go with a Decent Divine Brew on this. This is some epic sipping shit. Nevermind that a 12oz pour is like drinking three beers. A whole bottle is like a 6-pack. I guess that almost justifies the price at around...what was it? Like 30 bucks a bottle? Ouch. B-U-T, the price does seem kind of reasonable when you consider what goes into making this beer. It's oak aged. It's a blend of beers that are up to four years old. It's also huge at 15.0%. This is a big, complex beer, and despite the price you should almost pick up two bottles so you can age one for 2 years, or 5 years, or 10, or even longer. If I was pairing this beer with food, I'd pair it with pecan pie, a cold winter day, or even some dry chocolate cake with some sort of fruit component. But mostly, I'd treat this beer like a spirit and drink it by itself in a snifter after dinner.

Random Thought: I'm not going to drink this whole bottle by myself. That would be insane. Right? 

Stone Farking Wheaton w00tstout

Brewed By: Stone Brewing Co. in Escondido, California

Purchased: 22oz bottle bought at Binny's in IL; 2013

Style/ABV: American Double Stout, 13.0% 
Reported IBUs: 65

I don't know how Will Wheaton suddenly became super popular or relveant, but apparently the dude is infamous these days. Apparently, he also likes beer. I lucked into tonight's beer, and hope that everyone has a chance to track a bottle down. Word on the street is this beer is just now popping up outside of Cali, so keep searching. About Stone:

Stone Brewing are one of the more prominent breweries in the American craft brewing scene. They were founded in 1996 in San Marcos, California, and moved to Escondido, California where they recently expanded their operations. Stone was founded by Steve Wagner and Greg Koch. Koch has a reputation among the craft beer community for voicing his opinion, not putting up with shit, and standing behind his beer. 

Like most of Stone's collaboration brews, the Farking Wheaton w00tstout is all kinds of ridiculous. This beer is a collaboration between Stone/Greg Koch, and actor/uber-geek Will Wheaton, and Fark.com creator Drew Curtis. Brewed with rye, wheat malt, and pecans, this beer is partially aged in Bourbon whiskey barrels, and clocks in at a punishing 13% ABV and packs 65 IBUs. 

Stone Farking Wheaton w00tstout

Not at all surprising is this beer's super dark pour and the three fingers of THICK, bready, ice cream float head. The head is brown/coffee/mocha-colored, and has a thick, foamy consistency. No doubt the wheat and rye are keeping this bad boy afloat. This beer is also pretty true to its black body, letting in only the faintest brown tones. As you might expect, there's some nice lacing.

You get rich pecans, nuttiness, coconut, GIANT coffee, roast, cacao/cocoa...and then some hints of dark fruits, wood, and some faded whiskey/bourbon on the aroma. This doesn't remind me of the Stone RIS, and for that, you rock.

I'm drinking this at just below room temperatures, and I have to say...this beer is dense, creamy, rich, and boozy. This reminds me of something from the Southern Tier wheelhouse, or a Hoppin' Frog B.O.R.I.S....or something like that. Up front is rich, velvety cocoa, coffee, roast, and woody richness (edit: there's also some mild soy sauce and umami character); that rolls into some dark fruit complexity, with booze-soaked raisins and prunes, figs; you get some bourbon/whiskey next, with coconut and pecan/almond/nut following. The whole thing starts out super rich and sweet, but finishes sticky and dry with lingering booziness and alcohol complexity. I'm belching up rich chocolate. 

This is full-bodied, rich, boozy, and unapologetic about the whole thing. At 13%, I'm not looking for drinkability or sessionability, I'm looking for something that takes some time to drink and will get me through a couple of hours of TV. Mission accomplished. This beer has outstanding palate depth, with each sip lasting 20-30 seconds on your palate. The complexity is very high as well, with huge cocoa sweetness, coffee/roast, boozy dark fruits ala Stone's RIS, subtle whiskey/bourbon, and a pecan/nutty finish. This beer adds a layer of complexity that would elevate Stone's RIS into something truly remarkable. From front to back: rich, velvety chocolate/cacao, roast, coffee, woody thickfreakness; then you get some booze soaked dark fruits (raisins); the bourbon/whiskey show up; then you get nuts, pecan, pecan pie, boozy coconut; the back end is trailing boozy dark fruits, fade to slightly hoppy/dry/sticky. 

Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Decent Divine Brew. In a lot of ways, this is the beer that I wish Stone's RIS was. This is a thick, milkshake-like beer, with huge roast, cacao, coffee, pecan nuttines, and boozy complexity. It's a fun beer, and the 13% means you can both sip on this and then nap it off. I didn't even look to see how much this was going for, but my guess is this was around 10 dollars a bottle? A steal. I would pair this beer with this beer and sip on it over an evening, but you could also go with ice cream, rich chocolate cake, cheese cake, a super aggressive burger with strong cheeses and mushrooms, or a slice of pecan pie. I'm assuming a bottle of this stuff like like 900 calories, but #youonlyliveonce. 

Random Thought: Tomorrow: The Bruery's Bois. Hopefully. Stay tuned.

The Bruery Sour In The Rye

Brewed By: The Bruery in Placentia, California  

Purchased: 750ml bottle bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2013 (2012 bottle/vintage)

Style/ABV: Wild Ale, 7.8%

Reported IBUs: ?

Tonight is Thursday (well technically Friday at this point), which is an excuse to drink fancy beer. About The Bruery: 

The Bruery are based out of Placentia, California. As with many craft breweries, The Bruery began as a homebrewing adventure when Patrick Rue, his brother Chris, and his wife Rachel brewed their fast batch of beer. Patrick Rue continued to homebrew during his first year of law school, until he decided that he had a passion for brewing beer. The Bruery opened up in 2008, and since then, they have built a reputation around their experimental, and wild ales brewed with a Belgian flair. To read more, check out the Breuery's website.

Tonight's beer is part of The Bruery's "special collection." The Sour In The Rye is an Ale with around 40% rye malt base. This bad boy is brewed with wild yeast/bacteria, and aged away in an oak barrel for over a year.  

The Bruery Sour In The Rye

The beer pours a hazy brown color, with orange/gold tones in low light. This kicked up two fingers of orange tinted head, but the head quickly settled into a pure infection, pinky's covering of funk. In bright light this beer is a hazy gold-orange with peppery, uniform carbonation. The head is all funk, with an off-white/eggnog color. There's clingy lacing and all that fun stuff too.

This beer smells AMAZING. It instantly reminds me of the best stuff from Jolly Pumpkin and the Wild Ales from Jester King (Dear, my glassware). There's huge wood on the nose, with wet sauna, attic funk, lemon, lactic lemon funk, lactic tartness, and solid woody oak. The standout aroma here is the huge wood, wet sauna, and oak...followed by the tart, lactic funk. There's some rye spice as well, and maybe a hint of vinegar.

I need my glass/bottle to warm up a bit, but going into this a bit cold is revealing a ton of aggressive tartness, lactic tartness, lemon funk, and a biting wet sauna/woody finish. This tastes amazingly on point, and you get some subtle rye malt character as the backbone. This beer is jarringly sour, and that stays true as it warms a bit. There's plenty of lactic tartness, vinegar, tart apples, and pickled funk. There's also some buttery oak that emerges as this warms. The wood character is strong, with assertive tannin presence. There's some hints of leather as well. 

You would find this in my wheelhouse. This is my bag, baby. Yeah...okay...this one isn't the most complex beer out there, but the assertive sourness more than makes up for that fact. Palate depth is outstanding, complexity is just alright, and the mouthfeel is medium-light with wood tannins, buttery oak, and super aggressive sourness. But dat "wet sauna." Patent pending on that shit. You get big wood, lactic tartness, and some hints of sweetness up front; that rolls into buttery oak, more tartness, more wood, hints of rye, vinegar, sour grapes, Sour Patch Kids, sour apples; the back end is lingering wood, vinegar, rye...dry...

Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I gotta go with a Light Divine Brew on this. This is super tasty, and a lot of fun. I'm about to pair this beer with a salami sandwich, and I think any cured lunch meat sandwich would go well with this beer. You could also go the cheese route, or pair this beer with some super raunchy Poutine or something. I know that's begging for heartburn an hour later, but who cares. The price is right for this beer too, at around...14 or 15 dollars a bottle? Get on this. 

Random Thought: Speaking of "don't care," Jay Cutler was totally on the radio station I frequently listen to that isn't ESPN. Love him or hate him, this is a big year for Cutler and I'm not gonna lie....I'm excited for football. Soon.

Fantôme Hiver (Winter)

Brewed By: Brasserie Fantôme in Soy-Erezée, Belgium   

Purchased: 750ml bottle bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2013 (might be a 2012 bottle?)

Style/ABV: Saison/Farmhouse Ale, 8.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

Tonight is gorgeous, with temps bottoming out in the low 60s or upper 50s. I just went for a midnight jog, and I'm ready to slay some ghosts. About Fantôme: 

Fantôme is a brewery based out of Soy, Wallonia, Belgium, that was founded in 1988 by the mad man and mastermind, Dany Prignon. The brewery is located in a crumbling farmhouse in the Marche-en-Famenne district of Luxembourg province, and Fantôme's beer just might be more popular in the United States than it is in Belgium. Dany brews one type of beer: Saisons/Farmhouse Ales. Each of his Saisons have a unique twist, and he often brews his beers using herbs, spices, juices, and other off-beat ingredients. Their website is so hardcore it only comes in French, but check it out anyway. 

"Hiver" literally means "winter" in French. For some reason I thought that this beer was a smoked/rauchbier, but this is actually just Fantôme's winter seasonal (available from December through March). The recipe is variable from year to year, and there have been more than one report of some infected bottles in the 2012 crop. I'm flying blind here, but to be honest, I wouldn't have it any other way with a Fantôme beer.

Fantôme Hiver (Winter)

The cork came out of this beer with a resounding "POP!" Actually, compared to some of the other Fantôme beers I've opened, this cork was somewhat stubborn. The beer pours into a hazy orange/brown body, with 3-fingers of off-white/orange head. I'm not going to lie, this isn't the prettiest beer you will seduce. Bright light tells a similar story: you get a hazy, orange body, with some sediment floating around and gold tones on the outskirts. There are numerous streams of tiny, peppery carbonation supporting the gold/orange-tinted head. The head is sustaining nicely. Not only is there lacing, but there are some legs on this. At 8.0%, this is moving into that potent range for what is likely to be a very drinkable beer.

I'm going to rant about Fantôme in my random thought, but I feel like cries of infection could easily be a simple misunderstanding (unless you get a ropey beer, in which case, I'm so, so sorry). This beer has a lot of awesome Saison trimmings on the nose: peach, melon, strawberry, some lemon tartness. There's also a dash of tartness, maybe a little lactic kick. And there's also a ton of the house yeast, and that patent Fantôme funk. I'm getting earth, dirt, tobacco, leather jacket that has soaked up tons of cigarette smoke, bowling alley, leather shoes, and horse stable. 

Wow, this is fucking weird. I was expecting this to play the Saison straight, but this has serious density (8.0%...I guess...duh), with huge grains, orange/lemon kick, tons of leather, hints of smoke, and earthy bitterness. This almost has a cake-like density, with charred grain/malt veering towards that leather/cigarette jacket thing. There's also an amalgamate of fruits on display here. Underneath the ridiculous funk and leather/tobacco is some lactic lemon funk -- tons of earthy basement dominates -- you get old attic/garage, old tires, and some subtle peach/lemon/strawberry/apples/pears fruitiness. This definitely has some bitterness, both from the burnt grain and from what I presume are some bittering hops (and from the yeast, upon further drinking). 

This beer is a grower, not a shower. That is...it's really growing on me. This beer is incredibly complex, and it's layered. It's also not the type of thing I would hand to someone new to beer. I'd call this beer the Frank Zappa of Saisons, but music analogies are like buttholes, they're full of shit. Buttholes are also full of bacteria, so maybe 

"The Costanza Defense"

Fantôme is the true butthole. This butthole tangent was brought to you by the guy with the shitty blog. Seriously, are you reading this? Anyway, palate depth and complexity are both outstanding. At 8.0%, this is quaffable and hides the alcohol well. You get a blast of tropical fruits/Saison fruits and Belgian yeast up front; that quickly transitions into weird ass leather, cigarette smoke, earthy funk, basement/attic, and lactic lemon funk; the bank end is woody, tobacco, lingering leather, and fades to a dry, bitter finish (with bitter grain/hops). Bitter grain is evident in the brew, and dashes of floral fruit dance throughout.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

This is a Light Above-Average. I would buy this again, and I want to taste this more fresh. That said, this beer is fucking weiiiiird. There's a ton of bitter grain and bittering hops, lots of house-yeast funk, and yeah. What do you even pair this with? I feel like this beer would be dynamite with grilled lamb, rustic potatoes, grilled meats, peppery chicken/turkey, duck, a leafy burger, and french fries coated with truffle oil or strong spices. You could also pair this with aggressive cheeses (blue comes to mind), but maybe not super dry cheeses since this beer itself is fairly dry. At around 15 dollars a bottle, this is a fucked up experiment for seasoned beer drinkers who are bored with the run-of-the-mill Saison. Caveat emptor. 

Random Thought: About the whole infection thing...I'm all for crying foul when a beer is, in fact, infected. I feel like with Fantôme people are quick to pull the "infected trigger" when it simply might be such that you're getting what the brewer intended, and what was intended is simply some disturbing stuff. Dany Prignon is basically brewing the /r/spacedicks of beer. Even your mom can't save you. 

[Cellar Review] Founders Devil Dancer Triple IPA (2012 Vintage vs 2013 Vintage)

Brewed By: Founders Brewing Company in Grand Rapids, Michigan  
Purchased: Single bottle (12oz) from a 4-pack bought at Friar Tucks in Urbana, IL; 2012 /// Single 12oz bottle bought at Binny's in Chicago, IL

Style/ABV: Imperial IPA/Strong Ale, 12.0%
Reported IBUs: 112

Tonight I'm checking in on a beer that I have aging away in my cellar...this post was inspired by BEEEINNNNY'S. I walked in to grab some Dragon's Milk so I could compare the 2011 Vintage to the 2013 Vintage, and I stumbled upon single bottles of the Devil Dancer. I don't understand this beer or its popularity. Binny's had a one-bottle (12oz) limit on this beer, and each bottle was selling for 6 or 7 dollars. That pushes a 4-pack of this into the $24-$28 dollar range. What the fuck is this, Bourbon County Stout? I'm sorry, I love you Founders, but I don't know if I love you THAT MUCH. But then again, we are about to give this beer two knock out punches. Maybe it does live up to the hype. A word on Founders: 

Founders is the holy grail of Michigan brewing. Based out of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Founders was founded in 1997 and produce some of the best beer in the world.

I did review this beer back in September of 2012. The Devil Dancer is described as being massively complex, with a huge malt character that balances out an insane amount of hops. Clocking in at 12% ABV, this beer packs an impressive 112 IBUs. On with the comparison.  

Appearance

The 2012 beer is on the left in the Half Acre snifter. 

2012 Vintage on the left, 2013 Vintage on the right

2012 Vintage - Surprisingly much more flaccid than the 2013, this beer struggled to form a caramel/red head, and instead opted to spin a ring of lacing on the side of the snifter. In low light this is a reddish/orange affair, and it already looks a bit more muddled/cloudy than the fresh vintage. It's the damnedest thing, actually. The fresh vintage is almost transparent, but this year-old vintage is murky like orange juice. In bright light this beer is all sorts of appealing, with blood orange and tangerine tones, shades of sunet, a whispy carbonation on the surface. There is carbonation, lacing, and alcohol legs. 

2013 Vintage - More heady than the 2012 Vintage, this beer pours into a mostly clear, maybe slightly hazy, red/orange body. This one kicked up a centimeter of off-white head. In bright light, this is a transparent, orange-colred beer, with carbonation, and a nice cauldron effect. Swirling the beer kicks up some carbonation, and there is lacing and legs. 

The tl;dr version is that the 2012 Vintage is already much different in apperance, with a hazy body and less head.

Aroma

And here's where things get cray-cray. 

2012 Vintage - This smells like a mother fucking Barleywine. There's immense pine, resin, maple syrup, pine sap, treacle sweetness, molasses, and some hints of brown sugar/spice. There's also some fat, sticky, resinous tangerine/orange.

2012 Devil Dancer

2013 Vintage - Hops. This smells like hops. This smells like an Imperial IPA, and smells NOTHING like the 2012 Vintage. I'm getting some catty hops, lemon, pine, caramel/toffee/cakey backing, big zesty orange peel/lemon/citrus, and some sweet tangerine/tropical fruit. 

It's pretty remarkable, the change that this beer has undergone, in just short of one year.

Taste

2012 Vintage - The mouthfeel starts out thick, but this is still hopped to high heaven and finishes with gripping bitterness and woody hop kick. The front is all Barleywine, with huge molasses, complex sugars, brown sugar, and malt sweetness. You get cake, pine sap, resin, and burnt sugar-coated citrus. Beneath that is some hint of lemon, tangerine, and enamel-punching citrus. The back end remains sticky and sweet like a Barleywine, but the 112 IBUs of hop bitterness show up to dry things out and lay on a wood smacking.

2013 Vintage - Assertive, NOT-complex sweetness coupled with enamel-punishing hoppiness is what drives this beer. This is hoppy with resinous pine, lemon, catty hops, urine, soap, cleaning products, and some underlying caramel sugars and tropical fruits/citrus/tangerine. This is dank and resinous, and as it warms up you get some resin/wood density towards the back. The 112 IBUs are punishingly woody and dry, and you'll be reaching for water and a toothbrush. 

Drinkability/Mouthfeel/Palate Depth/Complexity

At 12%, neither of these beers scream drinkability. In fact, these are probably LESS quaffable than the Dragon's Milk, which is all sorts of absurd. On the plus side, hooray for getting tipsy on a Monday night. My liver, your gain.

2012 Vintage - This is full-bodied, heavy, and sticky. At this point, the beer is drinking like a serious American Barleywine with some age. It has a lot of complexity, and the palate dept is good. The bitter finish also contributes to nice palate duration, with each sip occupying lots of mouth time. You get sweet sugars, caramel, cake, toffee, and complex sugars up front; that rolls into molasses and spice, and bit pine sap, maple syrup, treacle sugars, lemon, and sweet citrus; that grows into a bitter/woody finish that is dry and sticky.

2013 Devil Dancer

2013 Vintage - This is also full-bodied, but a bit less so than the 2012. This one also isn't as heavy or sticky, and the complex Barleywine-esque sugars don't weigh on you. Palate depth is good, and complexity is also pretty solid. This reminds me of Dogfish Head's 120 Minute IPA, only less good. That gives me high hopes for cellaring the 120. This one features resinous/bready sweet citrus up front, with dank/resinous orange, some lemon, pine; that rolls into more lemon, cleaning products, soap, catty hops; The back end is aggressive bittering, wood, lingering resin/dank, and a dry sticky finish. 

Rating[s]/Final Thoughts

2012 Vintage - Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd) I'm feeling a Light Above-Average rating on this beer. I'm a little surprised at how well this beer is aging, turning into something resembling a very solid American Barleywine. There's a lot of complex sugars at work in this beer, and they are complemented with nice bitterness and faded hops. You could pair the 2012 Vintage with a cigar, dry cheeses (smoked cheeses; aged cheddar), smoked meats, or rich caramel desserts or creme brulee. Nice stuff. 

2013 Vintage - Rating: Average (3.5/5.0 Untappd) I'm feeling a Strong Average rating on this beer. I think I just downgraded this beer from last year's review. I don't know. I feel like this is flirting with that Above-Average rating. This reminds me of both the 120 Minute IPA, and of numerous beers brewed by Lagunitas. There's a lot of accompanying sugars that provide balance to the hops, and the end result is lots of sweet citrus, sugary lemon, and cake notes. It's a touch catty, for better or worse, and occasionally the booze crops up. I guess it delivers in some regards, but for whatever reason I find myself preferencing beers like the 120 Minute IPA (and that's even boozier...so yeah). I'm rambling. Food pairings: spicy wings, burgers, cheese dip, nachos...things that go well with an IPA. 

Random Thought: I think this beer ages favorably, and I also think this is a FUN BEER. So what do we make of the price? At 7 dollars a bottle, this shit is undoubtedly expensive. I snagged my 4-pack last year for about 25 bucks. I thought that was reasonable. If you do buy this beer, buy a couple of bottles, and throw two or three in the cellar. This should peak after 2 or 3 years, and will be fun to compare to a fresh bottle. Cheers. 

B. Nektar Zombie Killer

Brewed By: B. Nektar Meadery in Ferndale, Michigan  

Purchased: 500ml bottle bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2013 

Style/ABV: Mead, 6.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

Oh shit, we're doing meads now. Just wait until you see a cider on here. About B. Nektar:

B. Nektar is a meadery founded in 2006 by Brad and Kerri Dahlhofer, with the held of their friend Paul Zimmerman. They opened their doors in the August of 2008. The meadery makes a variety of eclectic meads, going beyond the basic honey mead. You can check out their website here.

Tonight's libation, the Zombie Killer Cherry Cyser, is a limited release and is made with Michigan tart cherry juice, apple cider, and star thistle honey. 

The initial couple of drops into the glass start out pink/red, but the mead quickly turns into a light, transparent, cider-looking, honey/amber/gold. The mead is light and very transparent, almost veering towards watery. There's a nice ring of carbonation on the side of the glass, and this looks carbonated. Bright light tells a similar story, as you get a very light gold/honey/amber color, with some red tones. It looks the part of a wine/cider/mead. 

B. Nektar Zombie Killer

The aroma is bright and cidery, and features big apple cider, sweet honey, and some cherries, apples, fresh green grapes, and juice box juiciness. 

This is a wonderful little treat, as the mouthfeel delivers a huge punch of honey thickness, and you get trailing honey on the back end. The front is loaded with apple cider and cherry juice. There's lots of honey on the back end. The cider/cherry juice up front has nice carbonation, and is very cidery with nice dryness and a hint of apple tartness. The honey on the finish is refined and tastes like the real organic shit that bees make. BBBZZZZ.

This is ridiculously addicting, and a bit of a standard-bearer for what can be done with meads and ciders. Pretty good stuff. Complexity is good with cider and juice up front, and lots of honey on the back. Palate depth is wonderful too, with bright, tart, crisp/dry cider and juice up front, and mellow mead/honey in the back. At 6.0%, this is stupid drinkable. This really need to come in a 24-pack. The carbonation is lively and helps prop this up.

Rating: Divine Brew (5.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm gonna toss this a Light Divine Brew. I love ciders, and find myself trying them on a more regular basis. The lower ABV coupled with the cider-like qualities of this mead make it incredibly approachable and drinkable. But it also has some excellent flavors to boot. Pair this with a fruit salad, grilled chicken, white fish, fruit pie, and warmer weather. This is great...and the 500ml bottles go for around 6 or 7 dollars. That's not a terrible price, but grab a few bottles. You'll thank me later.

Random Thought: I had high hopes for Dexter Season 8, and it even started off pretty great...but it's already falling into a somewhat predictable groove, so hopefully some interesting stuff will start happening.

[Cellar Review] New Holland Dragon's Milk (2011 Vintage vs 2013 Vintage)

Brewed By: New Holland Brewing Company in Holland, Michigan

Purchased: Single 12oz bottle from a 4-pack purchased at Binny's in IL; 2011/2013

Style/ABV: Stout/Strong Ale, 10%

Reported IBUs: 31

Back in 2011, I reviewed New Holland's Dragon's Milk. At the time, I thought the beer was too hot, and one-dimensional. I was so wrong. I've been meaning to re-review this beer for a while now, so I thought I would pull out a bottle of the 2011 Vintage I have been cellaring and see how it compares to a fresh bottle.

Like many things, I found myself strangely attracted to the Dragon's Milk. After throwing some bottles into the cellar, I had a random craving for this beer, and went out and bought another 4-pack. It wasn't long before I found myself buying this beer on a fairly regular basis to get my Bourbon fix.

Sweaters: the temporary boner slayer

Like a curvy girl that mostly wears baggy sweaters, this beer grew on me with each new revealing outing. If I had to describe this beer in one sentence it would be: "A poor man's Bourbon County Stout." This beer reminds me of the Bourbon County Stout, minus the malt backing, huge brownie backdrop, and the giant complexity. With that said...let's get on with the comparison.

Appearance

Both beers pour about the same. They both pour into thin, dark, black bodies, and kick up a finger of Stout-like brown/tan head. 

2011 Vintage - Swirling the beer results in some lacing and glossy alcohol legs. Agitating the beer by swirling kicks up some carbonation on the sides of the glass, but I can't really get a head going.

2013 Vintage - Swirling the beer results in lots of lacing and big, persistent, glossy legs. The legs have a longer duration here. Also, I'm kicking up more head on this as I swirl the beer. This beer is more heady in general.

2011 Vintage on the left. The 2013 was definitely a bit more "heady"

Both beers have a ruby-red tinted body when held to a bright light. The 2013 vintage seems a bit more marble black, where the 2011 vintage seems a bit cloudy.

Aroma

2011 Vintage - Brownie, wood, faded Bourbon...big raisins, molasses, port wine, light oxidation, dark fruits...and wet oak.

2013 Vintage - Huge Bourbon, vanilla, oak, chocolate, brownie, wood...aggressive tannin punch. 

Taste

2011 Vintage - Surprisingly balanced with fruit and port wine complexity, raisins, figs...there's some light oak and Bourbon, and wood. The finish is full of wood tannins, and faded alcohol. The 10% is still griping on the finish with pleasant booze.

2013 Vintage - Rich oak, Bourbon, booze; there are hints of brownie and chocolate, with some wood and roast in the mix. Maybe a hint of coffee? I'm probably reaching.

After tasting the 2013 (I tasted the 2011 first), going back to the 2011 really brings out the HUGE raisin, dark  fruits, and port wine complexity. The 2013 lays that rich oak/wood/Bourbon.

Drinkability/Mouthfeel/Palate Depth/Complexity

At 10%, this was never supposed to be a balanced beer. And I increasingly appreciate a fresh vintage of this beer for its HUGE Bourbon blast. Sometimes you just want Bourbon.

On the left: 2011 Vintage. Caps: "I toast."

2011 Vintage - Medium-full to lightly full-bodied. This has fruity, port wine notes, raisins...it's very complex stuff, with good palate depth. Age has -- surprisingly -- done this beer well. It's almost Doppelbock-esque, or remniscent of a fruity Dubbel. It has good drinkability for 10.0%. You get a hit of oak/chocolate up front; then raisins, dark fruits, oak; the back end is tannins, oak, wood, trailing fruits...the oak definitely builds as you drink it. Boozy on the finish, but in a pleasant way. The raisins/port wine rise to the top.

2013 Vintage - This is a lightly full-bodied beer, with some moments of fleeting thinness for whatever reason. This beer is aggressive and has tons of oak/wood tannins, big Bourbon flavors, and lots of barrel. While chocolate and brownie show up, this is still aggresively Bourbon-forward. It's one dimension to a fault, which hinders complexity. Palate depth is good, nevertheless. At 10.0%, drinkability is low but you want to sip on something like this anyway. Oak, Bourbon, wood, tannins up front; chocolate, brownie, wood, more tannins in the middle; lingering oak, vanilla, Bourbon, chocolate, wood on the back...finishes sticky and boozy.

These are heavy beers that both take a toll on your palate.

Rating[s]/Final Thoughts

2011 Vintage - Above-Average (4.5/5.0 Untappd) - A Strong Above-Average in fact, almost approaching a divine brew. Two years of age has done wonders to this beer, revealing a layer of port wine/raisin/dark fruit complexity. You still get that Bourbon/wood/oak/tannin punch, with just a hint of oak/brownie up front. Amazing complex. Nice.

2013 Vintage - Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd) - A Light Above-Average here. I shit all over this beer in my original review, but I was wrong. I owe this beer an apology, but I've made up for it by spending tons of money on this stuff. Okay, maybe not a ton...this beer is priced reasonably. The fresh vintages feature tons of aggressive Bourbon/oak, lots of wood, lots of tannins...there's a layer of chocolate/brownie, and some Stout-like richness that just can't sustain for some reason. The beer is a bit flawed, sure, but it's also a hell of a Bourbon barrel-aged beer.

I don't have much else to add...this beer is available in 4-packs for around 15 dollars. That makes this one of the better year-round Bourbon barrel-aged beers. It's missing a lot of the Stout complexity you would find in something like the barrel-aged Old Rasputin or Bourbon County Stout, but it makes up for it with excellent Bourbon kick. It's one-dimensional, but if you throw this beer in the cellar, you can pull it out in two years and pick up some nice dark fruit complexity to boot. I think I may see how a few vintages hold up after three or four years in the cellar, but this is very nice right now at the two year mark. Have fun with this one.

Random Thought: When in doubt, cellar ALL things.

Pipeworks Saison du Soleil

Brewed By: Pipeworks Brewing in Chicago, IL  

Purchased: 750ml bottle (Batch #159) bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2013

Style/ABV: Saison, 7.0%
Reported IBUs: ?

Happy Unofficial Pipeworks Thursday™! You couldn't put a better prospective beer in front of me on this hot-ass, balls-drippin', squelching summer scorcher of a night. About Pipeworks:

Pipeworks has humble roots. The brewery was founded in Chicago in 2011 by Beejay Oslon and Gerrit Lewis. The duo were both homebrewers that met while while working at West Lakeview Liquors. In 2011, they began to raise money for their brewery using the online Internet site, Kickstarter. Olson and Lewis were both educated at De Struise Brewery in Oostvleteren, Belgium. With that knowledge, and the money from their kickstarter, Olson and Lewis created a unique brewery that is smaller in size, and intended to brew smaller batches of beer. The company's motto is "small batches, big beers." And indeed, since the brewery has been around, they've been releasing a lot of one-offs and small batch releases. At one point - and maybe still - the goal was the release a new beer every week. You can read more about the brewery at their website HERE.

Tonight's beer is not unlike Pipework's MariLime Law. That one was brewed with lime juice, and tonight's beer is brewed with citrus juice. The bottle states: 

"Patio Season" Two of the finest words to ever lay upon Chicago ears. Named for the sun we long for, our new saison celebrates the opportunity to squeeze the summer out of this city. Loaded with Amarillo hops, fresh squeezed citrus juice, and fresh citrus zest, this saison screams summer. Tan those broad shoulders people, you've earned it.

Pipeworks Saison du Soleil

The bottle features a grapefruit or orange-looking thing on the front. The beer pours a hazy yellow/straw color, with some hints of orange and gold tones. This one kicked up a finger or two of funky, off-white head, made up of those Belgian bubbles. I'll see you at the Belgian bubble party. In bright light the beer is a radiant, juicy, yellow/orange; there's a centimeter of gold-tinted head setting up camp, and nice supportive carbonation to boot. As you'd expect, there's some lacing.

The aroma on this beer is really nice, and you can definitely smell the bold Amarillo hops and the citrus juice. There's a ton of grapefruit, orange, citrus juice, lime, and grassy/floral hops on the nose of this beer. The aroma also smacks of Pipework's Saison yeast strain, with huge pink peppercorns, clove, Belgian funk, horse blanket, and even some very, very mild Brett-like butcher-shop/leather. Also present is some mild Pils malt. 

There's a ton of citrus juice/zest popping in this beer, and the bold citrus characters from the Amarillo hops are in full display here. There's also a bit of heft/density to this, as you get both wheat and Pils malt on the palate. This is, by my estimation, the best Saison that Pipeworks has brewed by a long shot. Along with all the bright and bold citrus is some nice underlying Belgian funk/barnyard, a dash of peppercorn, and lots of floral bitterness. The bitterness in this beer grows, and has weight, but it's done the right way and adds a bit of complexity to the beer.

At 7.0%, this is stupid drinkable...I'm glad it comes in a 750ml bottle, and I hope to see this brewed again (or something similar). The body is medium-light to medium-full, and the mouthfeel does have surprising density. Palate depth is outstanding, and complexity is good. The higher ABV and dense body means this can't commit to being a summer quencher, but this would be right at home on a hot summer day (like today). Up front is an assault of Amarillo, citrus/grapefruit, and floral bitterness; mid-palate kicks up some Belgian funk and barnyard, peppercorns, and more floral bitterness; the back end is lingering/growing floral bitterness, residual citrus, and mild drying.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

This is a Decent Above-Average. I'm really surprised how much I enjoy this, because coming into this beer I had low expectations. I'm not going to lie. Pipeworks makes some great IPAs and Stouts, but their Saisons are kind of middling. I attribute some of that to their Saison yeast strain, which doesn't do much for me with its aggressive funk and huge peppercorn hammer of pink fucking justice. This beer probably doesn't toe the Saison style guidelines to a tee, but what exactly is a Saison? Touche, and that's all you need to know. The citrus/zest in this beer is outstanding, and it plays well with the bold hop bitterness and assertive Belgian funk. Because this beer seems to be a bit acidic, you could pair it with a variety of salads, ceviche, peppery chicken/turkey, fish, leafy burgers, pizza, lightly spiced wings, and a whole lotta other foods. I think a bottle of this was around 10 dollars? That's a steal. 

Random Thought: The AC in my car doesn't work, and hasn't for a while. I'm finally taking the car in to see how much it will cost to get fixed. This is neither here nor there, but consider this: it is hot as balls outside, and I am without AC. Fuck my life.